In Their Words: Carla Gonzalez

Name: Carla Viviana Gonzalez

Department: Education

What Scholarship or Award did you receive? Delta Kappa Gamma Education Award and the Richard and Cindy Morley Award in Education

What year are you (1st year, 3rd year)?
Graduate Student (1 year M.A. in Education & Credential Program)

College: Graduate Studies – Social Science Division

Where do you call home? Salinas, California

What is your field of focus? Social Science

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? I went to San Francisco State University for my undergraduate studies and wanted to attend a university that was just as open-minded, dedicated to social justice, and dedicated to it’s students of color. UC Santa Cruz also has the great reputation of being one of the most renowened research facilities in the country, and I jumped at the opportunity to enroll.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? I will be teaching at the high school I graduated from, Alisal High School in Salinas. I have long wished to serve this community as an educator as a way to inspire the next generation of students who come from underserved communities. I have had the privilege of coming across exceptional teachers during my own academic career in Salinas. Their guidance and eventual mentorship changed the perception that I had about myself, which allowed me to grow far beyond I would have ever imagined. These teachers refused to lower their standards for the sake of giving out an easy A; they pushed me and my peers to be the best version of ourselves possible in and outside of the classroom. They taught us not only the subject curriculum, but they also taught us life lessons, they provided emotional support and guided me and my peers through some of the toughest times of our lives. I plan to join the ranks of these educators, to change perceptions of the Latino community in East Salinas. I want to teach these kids that being aware that there are systems of oppression that work against them does not then mean simply stepping aside and giving up on all academic aspirations, rather it means rallying against oppression, banding together and working as hard as you can to break through and achieve everything you set out to do.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? This program has been a once in a lifetime experience for me, never did I think that I would find a group of peers as dedicated to teaching, as kind & generous, and as genuinely committed to our cohorts’ growth. Most notably I will remember the last day of every class I have taken throughout the program; we have developed a kinship (especially amongst the humanities cohorts) and as such have felt comfortable sharing personal stories and expressing ourseves wholey. The last day of each class at least three other students shared on how much they’ve grown as educators and the life lessons they’ve learned throughout our classes; each and every one of those stories has remained present in my daily thoughts, they serve as sources of inspiration and I am ever grateful to have learned alongside such great peers.

How will this scholarship/award impact your academic life/research? I am the first in my family to attend and graduate from a four-year university, my parents though excited at the thought of me continuing my studies and enrolling in a graduate program were concerned with how I would be able to afford the program’s tuition fees. I accrued over 70,000 dollars in student debt from my undergraduate studies, a debt, which I see as a valid investment, but a debt that has been limiting nonetheless. In order to save money, I moved back to Salinas and have since been living with my family throughout this program; the commute has been quite straining, particularly with my student teaching placements requiring me to be ready to teach at eight in the morning. Typically I’m awake at 4:30 in the morning, leave the house by 6:30 so that I can arrive at my student teaching placement with an hour to prepare for the day and put the final touches on lesson plans. We live with extended family in my home, and as such I’m not able to focus or work at the house, instead I drive to campus and work there until about 9 pm, after which I still need to drive back to Salinas. My parents have helped me this year with paying for a portion of the tuition fees, however this has come at no small cost to them, my younger brother is also attending college and relies in part on them for financial assistance. They do so happily, but it is evident that they are making quite the sacrifices by working extra hours, cashing in their vacation days, and refusing to take any unpaid sick days off. This year I have also accrued high balances on various credit cards because of the cost of gas and books, this couple with my student debt will take years to pay off. This scholarship took an immense burden off my family’s shoulders has allowed me to devote more time to focusing on completing this program successfully, instead of spending countless hours worrying over financial troubles.